A 10-year-old yellow Lab was rescued from a 40-foot well after he fell in.

Nearly-Blind Dog Pulled From Well

Firefighters in Georgia worked for three hours to save a 10-year-old yellow
Labrador Retriever as he struggled to keep his head above water in a 40-foot-well on Monday. Bama, who’s nearly blind, had wandered over to visit his neighbor when he fell into the narrow hole, which was open because the neighbor was working on the well. The
Henry County Fire Department arrived on the scene and lowered a firefighter into the well to save Bama. “The dog was really friendly, and when he was out, he even seemed like he was going around to thank everyone,” said department spokesman Capt. Michael Black. Bama’s owner, James House, was grateful, too. “I brought him home and hugged him — mud and all,” he said. — Watch it at
ABC News

Controversy Erupts Over Montreal Pit Bull Ban

A new
Pit Bull ban in Montreal, Canada, comes after a 55-year-old woman was killed in a brutal dog attack earlier this year. But the ban, which goes into effect Oct. 3, has been met with outrage and online petitions to stop it. The new policy requires that residents who currently own
Pit Bulls register them by the end of the year or the dogs will face the possibility of euthanasia. The Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to nullify the new legislation. — Read it at
Time

Study: Genes Influence Dogs’ Social Ability

Researchers in Sweden have found a relationship between five different genes and the ability of dogs to interact with humans. “Our findings are the first to reveal genes that can have caused the extreme change in social behavior, which has occurred in dogs since they were domesticated," said lead researcher Per Jensen of Linköping University. The scientists tasked 500
Beagles with a similar history of human interaction with trying to open a container with a tight lid to get to a treat inside. They then quantified the willingness of dogs to seek physical contact with a person in the room for help. The
dogs seeking contact more often carried certain genetic variants. The study was published in the journal
Scientific Reports. — Read it at
Science Daily

Captain Ron, standing behind his friend Lacy, is happily living at a Tennessee sanctuary.

Family Finds Facebook Famed Dog

Two years ago, Captain Ron disappeared from his owners’ Tennessee farm. The family searched for their
dog, who’d lost an eye due to a fungal infection, for months with no luck. But they were surprised and relieved to discover recently that the now 13-year-old dog is living contentedly at the
Old Friends Senior Dogs’ Sanctuary. The Tennessee sanctuary often posts photos of Captain Ron on Facebook that get shared widely, and that’s how his former owners spotted him. The family has since moved out of state and they’re living in a situation where they can’t take Ron back. But they contacted Old Friends to tell them how heartwarming it was to know their beloved dog was living out his golden years in good hands and making people happy on social media. The sanctuary wrote on Facebook that they were happy to give Ron’s family, who “obviously loved him and cared for him deeply,” the peace of mind to know that their dog is “doing great.” — Read it at
People Pets

Fat Cat Draws Visitors to New Hampshire Hotel

An adopted cat who weighs in at 31 pounds has become a celebrity both on the Internet, and at the Best Western Silver Fox Inn where he resides. Susan and Tor Brunvand adopted the now 8-year-old tabby from a shelter six years ago. Right after they brought him home, the couple says Logan started stealing food from their other two
cats and slowly packing on pounds. The Brunvands say they’ve tried everything to get Logan to lose weight, but nothing seems to help. Guests at the New Hampshire hotel love meeting Logan and sharing photos and videos of him online. “He is one of the happiest, easiest
cats I’ve ever had,” Susan Brunvand said. “He doesn’t think he’s fat.” — Read it at
CBS News